title: fMRI activation during a language task in adolescents with ASD.
abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by language and communication impairments, social impairments, and repetitive behaviors or restricted interests. Previous studies of semantic functions have found differences in semantic processing and differences in the activation of the language network in adults with ASD compared to controls. The goal of this study is to examine semantic functions in adolescents with ASD compared to typically developing adolescents. We utilized fMRI with a reading version of a response-naming task to investigate activation in 12 right-handed adolescent boys with ASD and 12 typically developing boys. Both groups performed the task at ceiling levels. Boys with ASD had significantly stronger activation than controls in Broca's area, which was less left lateralized in ASD individuals. Controls had a significant correlation between frontal and temporal language area activation in the left hemisphere, whereas ASD adolescents did not. Direct group comparisons revealed additional regions activated in the ASD group relative to the control group. These results suggest differences in semantic organization, approaches to the semantic task, or efficiency in semantic processing in ASD adolescents relative to typically developing adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA. tknaus@bu.edu
authors.forename: Tracey A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Knaus
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Silver
authors.forename: Kristen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lindgren
authors.forename: Nouchine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hadjikhani
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tager-Flusberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012660:Semantics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen